


Gladioli

by Hibernation_Reader_Ree (hoe_whisperer)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Basically, Gen, Thalia and Nico are like omg Rick killer my sibling too wtf, actually not really angst idk more like a safe place for not being over Jason dying lmao, and being annoyed at how little they acknowledge Thalia when her brother dies, because wtf Rick, im still not over Jason’s death u bet im not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:34:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27769114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoe_whisperer/pseuds/Hibernation_Reader_Ree
Summary: Nico and Thalia would have an understated bond after Jason’s death, and Thalia figures out how she wants her little brothers funeral.(i apologise for bad summary just read dude it’s short, quit if u don’t like it of course)
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Thalia Grace
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	Gladioli

Despite the fact that Demi-Gods are constantly told about their infamous short life spans, with a tendency to heroically die young, Thalia is in a state of shock over Jason’s death. First Luke, now Jason. 

This feels a lot worse than Luke’s death felt like, this was her little brother. 

The Greeks and Romans are in disagreement over the funeral, of how to handle his body. Whether it be a Greek or Roman funeral. While the Romans argue as Jason is Roman himself, and was Praetor for a long period of time, it should obviously be handled by them. 

The Greeks argue that Jason chose to spend the last part of his life with the Greek lifestyle and probably wouldn’t want a pretentious-The Stoll brothers had been interrupted by Annabeth at this time. 

Reyna and Frank have been very quiet on this matter, the same for Chiron as well. 

Thalia doesn’t know which option is better, she only knows she wants her brother back. Or at least for people to stop sending her sympathies as if they understand what she is going through, the last of her human family dying. 

She had always known she would outlive Jason, she was for all intentions immortal after all. She did not think it would happen so quickly. 

He was only 16. 

“Thalia?” the quiet voice shook her out of her thoughts, Thalia raising her head and looking behind her. 

Nico stood there, shoulders slouched, staring solemnly ahead. 

He was one of the people who took it the worse. Of course the seven and every major figure of the war against Gaia was devastated, but no one took it as hard as Thalia herself, Leo, Piper, Reyna and Nico. They had been awfully close the past year, best friends. 

She found those four the easiest to be around lately, a shared understanding. 

“Yeah?” Thalia mutters, standing up. 

Nico reaches out a hand towards her, “I’d appreciate it if you would shadow travel with me somewhere.” 

“Where?” Thalia asks cautiously, though she has already taken his hand into hers. 

“You’ll see,” is all Nico replies and they are plunged into the shadows. 

When they reappear and Thalia gets over the wave of dizziness which is a given because of how infrequently she uses shadow travel, she is taken aback by the environment. 

Though the people around are few, she blinks when she hears two women talking to each other at the bottom of the lane they are standing in, “That is not English.” 

Nico gives her an amused look briefly, walking forward, Thalia jogging to catch up and follow where he is going, “No it is not.” 

“It is also not Greek,” Thalia frowns. 

“Correct,” Nico grunts out. 

“What are they speaking, then?” Thalia questions. 

“Italian.” 

At that Thalia swivels her head to the side, “Freaking Ita-” 

She is cut off by Nico saying, “We’re here.” 

Looking ahead she feels her mouth open in surprise, which considering her life is unexpected. 

Ahead of them looms a large manor, made of black stones and a tasteful waterfall in the front. It was an old fashion design, as if from a different century. 

When Nico opens the steel gates and strides into the massive driveway confidently, Thalia follows behind, if more reluctant. 

“Are we allowed to be here?” Thalia whispers. 

“I’d think so,” Nico informs her, “I do own the place.” 

“You what now?” Thalia demanded, staring dumbly at the manor. 

When they arrive at the doorway, grand doors with iron artfully twisted across them, he points upwards, to where the name ‘Di Angelos’ was sprawled out in iron. 

“I live here,” Nico repeats, the corner of his mouth curling upwards into a light smirk, “what, did you think I lived in the underworld 24/7?” 

“Kind of,” Thalia admits, shaking her head, “but why are you shacking it up in Italy?” 

“I am Italian, Thalia,” Nico deadpans, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. 

Thalia scowls back in response, “How did you even manage to buy a fuck off mansion?” 

“I didn’t buy, I inherited,” Nico told her, carefully watching her reaction. 

“Inherited?” Thalia squinted at him, curiosity clear. 

Nico pushed the doors open, “This is where Bianca and I were raised, before we were moved to America.” 

Thalia took a careful step inside, scanning across the room, focusing on the interior design instead of the rare mention of Bianca when it came to Nico in case of frying her brain by accident if she examined that too carefully. 

“It looks lovely,” Thalia tells him, the sentiment obviously genuine. 

A small smile graces Nico's face, “Yeah, doesn't it so.” 

“I didn’t know you were loaded as a kid…” Thalia trails off, leaving room for Nico to pick up the conversation or not. 

“I didn’t for a while as well,” Nico replies, clarifying at her confused expression, “It isn’t since after we defeated Kronos that I began to start remembering what I had forgotten from the River of Lethe before the Lotus Hotel. I think I remember most of it, by now.” 

“That’s insane,” Thalia tells him, “your memories really recovered after a dip in the River of Lethe?” 

“More or less,” Nico drawls out, “I guess my dad didn’t have any reason for me not to remember anymore.” 

“You have seemed less American the last few times we’ve met,” Thalia drily states, “I mean no offence, I have found this very interesting, but why am I here, Nico?” 

His solemn expression reappears, “I’ll show you.” 

Soon they arrive in the back garden, which is just as large as expected, a magnificent amount of variety when it comes to the plants and bushes, sections of colourful flowers and trees scattered around the expanse of land. 

Nico leads her to the back of the garden towards the left direction, her mind coming to halt when she sees what is obviously a grave. A statue of an angel overcasts the grave, with long wavy hair cascading over its shoulder, a long wrinkled tunic. 

“Did you know that Di Angelo means ‘from the Angel’?” Nico says absentmindedly, stare focused on the grave, “My mother and grandparents are buried on the other side of the garden. I considered having her placed with them but, gladioli.” 

“Huh?” Thalia asks, tearing her eyes away from the Angel statue. 

“The flowers surrounding the area,” Nico says. 

Eyes roaming the area Thalia notes that there are large patches of flowers of the same type with various colours, purple yellow and white most commonly, the angel and realisation of what this area was distracting her enough to not take them in at first. 

They were of large quantity, completely surrounding the grave and swammering over a large amount of grass. 

Nico kneels downwards, his hand stretched onto the grass and eyes briefly closed before his lips curled upwards, “The flowers have a lot of life in them. When we grew up, Bianca loved the gladioli our gardener grew around here, she’d even make flower wreaths with them and force me to wear one, much to my displeasure. She loved them so much that our mother had the gardeners grow probably ten times as much.” 

“...They’re beautiful flowers,” Thalia eventually replies crouching down next to him and brushing her fingers across some of the flowers as well. 

“Do you know what these flowers symbolise?” when Thalia simply shakes her head he replies, “Gladioli are supposed to symbolise strength of character, moral integrity and sincerity. Fitting, right?” 

Thalia thinks of Bianca when she knew her, her sacrifice of her life, Silena, Charles, Luke, Zoe and _Jason_. 

“Definitely fitting for a Demi-God,” Thalia answers, “definitely fitting for her.” 

Nico's face softens at Thalia’s words, nodding at her in understanding; Thalia nods back, the mutual understanding feeling stronger than ever. She lets the silence take them over, both staring at the grave. 

Finally Thalia voices the nudging question in the back of her mind, “How did you manage to bury her here? I mean, the body...” 

“I didn’t,” Nico says. When Thalia continues to look at him he explains, “it wasn’t until after Kronos was defeated that I came back here, and stumbled across her casket. Right in front of the stairways, it was quite the surprise indeed...” 

He lets out a bitter laugh at her slightly horrified expression, “It was likewise to a horror movie scene.” 

“Jeez, it sounds like it,” Thalia agrees. 

“The Angel statue was in the driveway,” Nico says, expression further softening, “I think it was a gift from Hades. He seemed to know without me saying that I didn’t want a funeral by Camp Half-Blood or the Hunters of Artemis.” 

“Why not?” Thalia questions, ignoring what was probably a slight against the Hunters. 

“She already died for that side of her life, her blood,” Nico sighs, “I didn’t want them to have this part as well. Her being half of a god was what her doom was. And I’m expected to give her a burial that would satisfy them? She was as much as a mortal as she was a God, that deserves to be recognised. What Bianca deserved was to let her rest as a mortal, as she already died for the cause of gods.” 

Thalia slowly nods, “And that choice felt right? Afterwards?” 

“Yeah,” Nico tells her, “it really did. I am an underworld kid, I’m unsurprisingly pretty good at burials.” 

“Jason was taken when he was just two, he never really got to be anything but a Demi-God...” Thalia stands up, fixating her gaze on Nico. She thinks of him and Bianca, she thinks of how he understands, and asks, “There enough room for Jason here?” 

“I was hoping you would say that,” Nico replies, standing up as well, “I know that Bianca picked rebirth, but I still feel like she gets lonely around here.” 

Thalia gives him a small smile when after he says, “If it’s okay, I’ll contact the 7-I mean, 6 and Reyna,” Thalia suggests, “you set up the funeral?” 

Nico nods, already slipping into the shadows. 

On a hunch she runs to the front of the driveway into the water fountain, and takes out a bundle of golden drachmas out of her satchel, relieved to see the shimmer of rainbow colour that ripples through the pools. 

She places them on the marble outline of the water fountain, following another instinct and walks around the waterfall, taking slow steps towards the stone statue which had not been there before. 

It was beautiful, a large wolf curled around a young child, the wolf's eyes staring down lovingly, fierce protection blazing in it's eyes despite her being a statue. The boy she was curled around was exactly as she remembered him when he was two. 

She carefully treads her fingers across the statue, over the nuzzle of the statue of Lupa. 

“Hey Hades,” Thalia whispers, “thank you. Gotta say, you’re starting to seem like the best god relative I have.” 

She lets out a little laugh when the statue seems to have gained a smug air around it. 

He had a standing stone stelae, a grave which Thalia was pretty sure was an often used Roman grave for those who died in the military, a stone slab much longer in height than width, a message inscribed with a bolt of lighting inscribed below the message. 

The statue of Luma loomed behind it, towering over, as if to protect it from any danger. 

There were stereotypical funeral vases around the grave, kylux cups, kraters and oinochoe, designs painted across them, paintings of Athens, Camp Half-blood and Camp Jupiter being the most common theme. 

She pauses when she sees one of the designs, “Nico, is that...Manhattan?” 

“New Yorker, through and through, right?” 

“You bet,” Thalia confirms. 

A small amount of jewellery was around the grave as well, though not many pieces. Weapons had been laid in the ground too, the weapons most commonly have mentals of imperial gold, celestial bronze and adamantine. 

Thalia sharply when she saw inhaled a Gladius with a leather sheath placed in the top of the pile. 

Reaching into his pocket, she removes a Mace canister, and lets it elongate into its spear form. When Nico nods at her when she sends him an uncertain look she places it next to Jason’s grave. She places down Aegis as well. 

Nico takes out his Falcata sword, the black three-foot-long, Stygian Iron which screams Nico and places it next to Thalia’s weapon, “I can forge a new one.” 

Piper clears her throat causing both Nico and Thalia to turn around and look at her. The remaining members of the scene stood in a line, Reyna as well, all watching soberly, a sadness to each one. They had quickly answered Thalia calls, being shadow travelled by Nico who had felt slightly dizzy for a while before they could start the funeral. 

Piper takes out a dagger sheaved in well worn out to the point of shabby black leather, bound by bronze. Moving forward towards Jason's resting area, she places Katoptris down before going back to the line up. Leo follows next, placing down his magical toolkit and going back to Piper, pulling her into his side with his arm wrapped around her. 

Annabeth is next, putting down her Drakon Bone sword by his grave. Percy goes with her, dropping a trident with the sword. 

Frank went forward with Hazel placing down his spear, with the dragon tooth at the bottom of it. Hazel gently places her spatha down next to the spear, the Imperial Gold Roman cavalry beautiful in it's long length. 

Reyna is the last to go forward, turning her gladius into its more common form, the Imperial Gold javelin. She slowly levers it down. 

Nico steps forward when everyone has placed a weapon, and grabs onto a pile of dirt. His fingers gradually are stretched out, the first grains of dirt landing on the coffin. 

Thalia feels her eyes behind to water, and quickly raises her arm to wipe them away. 

She snatches up the offered shovel from Nico, and watches as Nico passes one to Reyna as well. All three of them fill out Jason grave, trying their best to not shed their tears until after the job is down. 

When only a few more shovels of dirt are left both Reyna and Nico stop stepping back to allow Thalia the last few turns. 

The moment she let loose the last remaining dirt, she patted down all of the grave until it was even. She stepped back, dropping the shovel, taking in the completed image. 

After a moment she walked up to Nico, grabbing him into a hug. Though surprised he returned the affection, even if slightly awkwardly likely due to a small amount of experience with hugging, “It’s perfect. Thank you, Nico. Thanks a lot.” 

Nico responds, warmth in his words, “No need to thank me, he deserved it to be more than perfect.” 

Thalia steps back, “He did.” 

She looks up when a particularly loud rumble happens in the sky. 

She can’t help the boiling fury that reaches the burning point that has been building for years at Zeus. That has been so prominent ever since Jason died, “That’s all, Zeus?” 

She ignores the other Demi-Gods panic at her words, urging her to be quiet, “Jason saved the world, twice. He saved Olympus twice, you twice. Without Jason, you would have died. The mortal realm and Olympus no more, and you can’t acknowledge that Jason died more than having a little mood swing in the sky you have every time a minor inconvenience happens? What good really are you, Zeus?” 

She continues to ignore the others' increasing panic around her trying to get her to stop talking and not get herself smited by Zeus, “You met him once. Just once. And let him lay his life down for a matter you can solve at a click of your fingers, and you can’t even show up to his goddamn funeral. Jesus Christ, Hades actually acknowledged Jason's death more than you! Hades did! His uncle he never even has spoken to! You’re a joke. Jason deserved so much better!” 

Nothing happens. While she’s happy Zeus didn’t decide to kill her for her outburst, she still scoffs, “Nothing. Typical.” 

That’s when it happens. The sky suddenly clears, the dark clouds and heavy rain coming to an end. Thalia blinks at the sudden shift of weather when the momentous event occurs. An absolutely large lightning bolt goes off, blinding in it's brightness, a magnificent loud thud, not too far from their location, a clear view for many stretches of land away, like nothing Thalia has ever seen before. 

“Holy shi-!” Leo yells. 

Thalia doesn’t stop the tears streaming down her face,happy giggles escaping her body, “I think we just witnessed the largest lightning bolt in history to date.” 

“Wicked,” Percy gaps. 

“Wicked,” everyone but Thalia repeats, even Reyna. 

Thalia allows herself to continue her giggles for a long while. 

Everyone had left by now, leaving just her for the past couple hours. She senses when he arrives back, throwing a half hearted hearted wave. 

Nico stood next to her, “Did you know, Gladiolus are named after the word ‘gladius’. In Latin, it of course means the word sword. It is said, gladiators in Rome would wear gladiolus corms around their necks during battles to help them win and be protected. Why they are associated with gladiators so much, why they symbolise strength and integrity.” 

“You’re a mix of very weird Wikipedia articles,” Thalia tells him, smirking at his obvious confusion as to what that reference means, “still, that makes them even more fitting, I guess. Another thing to thank you for.” 

“Nothing to thank me for, really,” Nico tells her, “this helped my piece of mind as well.” 

Thalia lazily nodded in reply. 

“I came back for a reason,” Nico told Thalia, perking her interest, “when I was gone I checked out the underworld.” 

At that Thalia stills, turning to face him completely, “...How did he do?” 

“Well,” Nico replies. Judging by the unusually incredibly happy aroma around him, a rarity from Nico to be very happy at all, that Thalia now picks up from him when facing him directly she is hopeful he did more than fine. 

“Elysium?” Thalia asks hopefully. 

“No,” Nico replies, shaking his head, “rebirth.” 

“Jason picked rebirth?” Thalia queried, shocked. 

“Not quite,” Nico grins. 

“What are you talking about?” Thalia asks, unable to understand. 

“The Isles of Bless are for people who have reached Elysium three times, then they are welcomed. It’s an incredibly rare occurrence, viewed as the ultimate paradise for the dead…” Nico sent her an awed look, “Jason made it.” 

“He did what?” Thalia can’t fully bring herself to absorb the meaning of what Nico just told her. 

“Jason was in his third life, apparently. It’s crazy I never knew but...He is in the Isles of Bless,” Nico beams, elated and proud of his best friend, having been able to get over the confusion brought by Jason already lived twice before with time, “he really made it. Thalia, he made it.” 

Thalia thought she was done with crying, but the tears welled up again, pooling in her eyes, undeniably happy for her brother having the ultimate peace in life, to reach what is the afterlife equivalent of true happiness, no matter the confusion she holds over him turning to have had previous lives without her as a sister, “He’s really in the Isle of Bless?” 

“He really is,” Nico confirms with a still present grin. 

Thalia turns to look at Jason's grave, “I’m so proud of you.” 

Reading the inscription she can’t help but smile even more widely, 

In Loving Memory of Jason Grace

Beloved brother and friend 

Praetor of Camp Jupiter 

Savour of the world 

He kicked a lot of ass 

Like, a lot 

“My favourite cousin!” Thalia greets, slinging an arm over Nico's shoulder when he tucks his head down with a sheepish smile. 

“Don’t let Jackson hear you say that,” Nico warns her, ignoring her red rimmed eyes much to her appreciation. 

Thalia flings a causal hand forward, “Oh Nico, I’ve already said it in front of Percy plenty of times.” 

Nico snickers at her reply, “Well, you know Zeus children are always my favourite cousins.” 

“Jason, me, how wouldn’t they be?” Thalia says, ruffling his hair, “Graces are too awesome to not be your favourites.” 

“You bet they are.” 

When Nico shadow travels this time no sickness is felt by her, not with how used she is to it by now. 

They appear right before Bianca’s and Jason’s ground, quickly sitting next to each other in front of their graves. 

“Would you prefer alone time?” Nico makes sure to ask. 

Thalia shakes her head. 

Nico is happy to sit in silence with her this day, letting her have her time with Jason. 

Around an hour later she turns to look at Nico's profile, how his gaze seems to bounce between Bianca and Jason graves, sadly watching the two. It quickly became apparent to Thalia years ago after Bianca how little the amount of people he lets in are, Jason being one of the few to get in. Two of the people which had some of the greatest impacts of his life. 

Thalia reaches down and plucks two of the gladioli flowers. Aware of Nico's sudden scrutiny she ties them shabbily together. 

When she plunks a third flower she warns him, “I didn’t make flower chains nevermind flower crowns when I was younger, this will not be my best work, alright?” 

A smile slowly overtakes his face, as he begins to pluck the gladioli as well, tying them with far more finesse and speed than her, “I must inform you, I’m kind of an expert on the field. ‘Without a doubt going to show you up’ kind of expert.” 

“Bring it,” Thalia challenges, despite the clear difference of skill not being on her side, “I’m better at working under pressure.” 

“We’re both Demi-Gods, you being good under pressure applies just as much to me…” Nico trails off, raising an eyebrow. 

“I’m still better,” Thalia shrugs, suppressing to cackle at the comical offence on his face. 

“You see, me and Bianca both didn’t learn about how to deal with pressure due to being Demi-Gods, oh no, these are skills we learned out of necessity as a child.” 

“Yeah?” Thalia prods, biting her lower lip when she struggles adding on another flower to the galido chain with the strands keep skipping out of her attempt to knot, still clearly listening to his story with 100% of her attention despite her current struggle and ADHD. 

“Yes, when we were younger, every Tuesday after school, we had only 5 minutes by the time we got home to get ready for…” 

As children of gods, there are a lot of traditions they are expected to follow, a lot of rules and expectations to be followed and met. Especially considering the grand amount of Greek traditions that exist, a rich culture built from hundreds of years. 

Thalia and Nico would both instantly say for years to come without a doubt their favourite tradition occurs at least twice a year on the same date both times, but there are plenty other times apart from those two dates that they carry out the tradition anyway; whenever they felt like it. 

The tradition of sitting together in front of Jason and Bianca, making flower crowns and sharing stories about their beloved siblings to each other.

**Author's Note:**

> the working title throughout this fic was ‘f u Rick’. u really couldn’t just let the homeboy live man, when he just started living life for himself? not cool bro. 
> 
> me: i really still love the heroes of olympus books, even years without reading Rick’s new books.  
> reddit: haha Jason died  
> me, a year or two later: sTiLl nOt oVeR iT 
> 
> Jason>Apollo living :( 
> 
> okay i will stop
> 
> i do own the books since i wouldn’t kill Jason :( 
> 
> (sue me Rick bring it bRuH) 
> 
> Jason u sweet sweet summer child u did well (at least they didn’t kill Piper too guys when they were at it that scene, and the rest of the 6 and Nico/Reyna are alive so...yay) (sweet summer spring child i am so sorry)
> 
> also yes i did a fic that wasn’t crack wow, probably littered with typos since it’s half two am and i can’t be arse doing a spell check and betas are for pussies


End file.
